Found this on a beach this year copper or brass nail with weird twist

[Hvactech19]

Some sort of nail? ***Best I could get for photo of top of nail.***

 

[ARC]

You just found a rare item IMO...

Its a handmade bronze nail that was made into an improvised "sinker".

Super cool.

Any way to see top / head of that just to be sure. (picture)

 

[creskol]

The twist is a clinch. It was driven through the wood and the end clinched over to make sure it didn't/couldn't pull out.

 

[ARC]

The twist is a clinch. It was driven through the wood and the end clinched over to make sure it didn't/couldn't pull out.

I like the idea of that... but personally have never seen it.

 

[FloridaSon]

Been reading about survivors reworking ship items into tools or items they could use to stay alive. Spikes formed into hammers have been found for example. Could be that.

 

[Blak bart]

Keep in mind that the nail is very small.....very cool find whatever it was used for !!

 

[Hvactech19]

When I get home I'll take more pictures. I haven't found an example of a "clinched" nail that looks like this.

 

[Mud Hut]

I agree with Creskol. That was a common practice in boat building.

 

[firemanphob]

seen a lot of clinched nails but they are usually just bent over flat. Seems like that had to be done while heated. It would be very difficult to get that rolled end when sticking through a timber. Just my thoughts.

 

[Radon]

I think if you had nails coming through far enough that you could bend them over, you would do just that. Those things would be painful if you bumped into them otherwise.

 

[Gambrinus]

In my opinion, forming that curl would not be easily done and if it was a clinch it was done for ornament or
had some other intended purpose like maybe a hinge?

 

[gunsil]

seen a lot of clinched nails but they are usually just bent over flat. Seems like that had to be done while heated. It would be very difficult to get that rolled end when sticking through a timber. Just my thoughts.

One cannot bend heated copper alloys, they are soft and bent cold. If you heat copper alloys like iron alloys they will break when bending. I agree with creskol, clinch nail.

 

[invent4hir]

Since first looking at this post, I’ve been examining pictures of clinched nails on-line for anything resembling the find in question — and have found none. If anyone else finds one, please post.

In addition to the amount of effort it would’ve taken to make the swirl at the end, I find it interesting that the shaft of the find appears to be bent in the opposite direction of the swirl uniformly where the yellow line is. What would cause this bend if the find were a clinched nail?

Stepping back, I wonder if this was a slide-in hook of some sort? The head would slide into a slot and the eye of the swirl might have been used to run a string through.

 

[Kuiu]

I think its a hinge for a small cabinet door on a boat. The bend is where the cabinet was over extended too many times while being slung open. Probably the hard juice cabinet.

 

[invent4hir]

This appears to have begun life as a nail. Because the head doesn't look deformed like it has been struck by a hammer, I think the find became a decorative whatzit and/or used for a different purpose than a nail. Only wish I could positively ID the whatzit. There have been several possible answers given in previous posts. Perhaps TNet should be a new category called "STUMPERS".

 

[Breezie]

I don't think it's a nail. It appears to be a decorative, yet useful piece that could have been on a hook or the likes. The ones pictured below are from a wrought iron company, but they could also be made of copper or brass. Are you sure your item is made of copper or brass? Does it attract a magnet? Generally copper turns green, thus verdigris and brass turns black. Smell of it because brass does have a very distinct smell.





Interesting find
Breezie

 

[Hvactech19]

It's turning green, it is not magnetic, it definitely looks like a really old nail improvised for another purpose. Just wish I knew from what year lol!!

 

[AU Seeker]

I found this image of nails that match almost exactly to the one you found except they don't look to be copper or bronze and they are clinched nails as you can see bits of wood still attached, still trying to track down what the photos was related too, i found the website it originally came from but can't find the image or the subject matter on that website.

Image link

http://www.jchurchill.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/clench-nails.jpg

Website link.

John Churchill | Blacksmiths Est. 1988

Photos of the nails.

 

[Blak bart]

Interesting.....now I'm even more confused....what the heck is going on there and how could the wood get in there like that ? Nice work AU Seeker.....looks like a good match.

 

[AU Seeker]

I finally found a write up to accompany the photo I posted in my last post of the clinched nails, he describes exactly how he get the nails to curl and clinch in this curly fashion.

This website is for a blacksmith in the UK by the name of John Churchill who does everything by hand, if you have the time check out the rest of his website, he has some very nice, inventive and amazing pieces of work he has done over the years!!

Clenching of nails | John Churchill